Where She Went (Gayle Forman)

Looking at the title of this review, you may be a little confused as to why this is being posted without the first book review being up. To diminish the confusion, let me explain. This is indeed the sequel to If I Stay but I have a confession: I didn't actually read the first book. I watched the movie a couple months back, not knowing it was based on a book. When I discovered that, I was mildly horrified that I had watched a movie before the book. But instead of going back and reading the first book, I just had to jump right into the second one. I needed to find out what happened!

Where She Went by Gayle Forman, as I mentioned before, is the sequel to the bestseller book (and movie) If I Stay. Just as a recap for the first book: Mia is a cello player and Adam plays guitar in a band. The unlikely pairing become inseparable until a tragic events happens in Mia's life. She is left hanging in this unknown in-between and has to decide on whether she should stay or leave. Of course, Adam wants her to stay though he makes a promise that may cost him later. That's the first book, without giving away too much. The second book begins three years after the devastating accident. This book follows Adam more closely as he faces the challenges of being in a band that is rising through the ranks. He also faces challenges when he crosses paths with his old love Mia. Will the come together again, or are old wounds still to raw to allow that to happen?

The writing of this book is beautiful and I thank Gayle Forman for writing such a lovely novel. The characters are so real and you begin to feel what they are feeling. Any happiness became my happiness; any sadness became my sadness; any pain became my pain. That is a difficult thing to do, but Gayle managed to do so in such an incredible manner. There is no "sugar-coating" the emotions in the book and I love the reality of it all. For me, I find teen fiction can become a little washed-out leaving behind a feeling that my life isn't as wonderful as it should be based on the characters I'm following. But Where She Went (and the movie If I Stay) doesn't look at just the happy parts of a relationship or the teeny tiny "fights", it looks at the whole picture and how life is a long journey; there may be heartbreak, but perhaps things will find a way of healing if you give it time.

Mia & Adam (as portrayed in the movie If I Stay)

Overall, I would rate Where She Went 5/5 because it was beautifully written and just felt so true to what life and relationships are. Again, thank you Gayle Forman for writing a two-book series that I am now in love with; I promise to go back and read the first one!

Until next time,
Happy Reading Fellow Bookworms :)

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